Teams that should start looking for replacement QBs in the 2014 NFL Draft

For too many NFL teams, the draft is seen as a quick fix for whatever ails their rosters. Teams will often pass up a superior talent for a lesser player who fills a need.

A lot of this approach is based on the win-now mentality of the league. Unlike baseball, where a team’s top draft choice is not expected to contribute for a few years, NFL teams are looking for a player who can make an impact from Day 1.

The Packers drafting of Aaron Rodgers is the perfect example of what favoring talent over need can do for a franchise. The Packers weren’t really in need of a QB back in 2005. Brett Favre was getting old, but he was still a productive passer who had a few years left in the tank. But the Packers didn’t let Rodger slip pass them, and we all know how that turned out.

It’s tough for a team to take a QB when it doesn’t have a pressing need for one. A young QB playing behind an entrenched starter will not see the field, barring injury. That’s not a problem for other positions on the field. If the Vikings ended up with Carlos Hyde, he’d get his fair share of carries despite Adrian Peterson’s presence in Minnesota.

With a number of unknown quantities at the QB position at the top of this year’s draft and the teams with the most pressing need for a franchise QB seemingly set on drafting elite talents at other positions, some of the draft’s top passers will be available for teams with a starting QB already in tow.

Let’s take a look at the teams that could — and probably should — look for potential replacements for their starting QBs.

Baltimore Ravens

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Joe Flacco is just a year removed from winning a Super Bowl MVP and signing a six-year, $120 million contract. But the 29-year-old is coming off his worst season as a pro, and his cap hit will balloon up to an untenable $28.55 million in 2016. It was never likely that Flacco would see the back end of his contract, but restructuring the deal would just lock the Ravens for additional year of paying for a QB who would be on the wrong side of 30 by that time.

If the Ravens draft a backup QB this year and groom him for two years, they will have leverage in any future negotiations with Flacco. The Ravens could also just sever ties with Flacco completely in 2016 — making him a June 1 cut would save the team about $18 million against the 2016 cap, according to Spotrac. If Flacco shakes a bad 2013 season and improves, the Ravens might feel comfortable restructuring his deal down the road, and they’ll have a young asset they can use in a trade.

The Bengals will be smart to let Dalton play out his final year and prove he is worth the money. In the mean time, drafting a possible replacement would give the team a backup plan if Dalton doesn’t take the next step. That would allow Cincinnati to part ways with Dalton, save a ton of money and keep a deep roster together with the hope that the next QB can get the team over the hump.

Arizona Cardinals

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The Cardinals have one of the best rosters in the NFL. Unfortunately, they happen to play in the league’s toughest division. Arizona managed to win 10 games in 2013 despite playing a fourth of its schedule against the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.

The Cardinals do not have a lot of holes to fill outside of a porous offensive line, but there are certainly important positions that could use some upgrading. The quarterback position is at the top of that list.

Carson Palmer is a good QB. He’s knows his way around an NFL offense, but his limitations held the Cardinals back from being a playoff team in 2013. Palmer is a statue in the pocket and becomes a poor decision-maker when he’s moved off his spot. Palmer’s contract expires after the 2015 season, so Arizona will be in need a QB anyway.

Why not use the 20th pick on whichever QB drops to them, let the rookie learn under a smart veteran and then take over the reigns when Palmer is off the books? That would give the Cards a cheap QB for four years and the money to keep a talented team together.